


Taken for Granted

by CathyFowl



Series: Thedosian Works In Progress [6]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Modern Girl in Thedas, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, not so slow burn, or is she
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-19
Updated: 2018-07-05
Packaged: 2019-05-25 13:06:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 9,753
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14977784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CathyFowl/pseuds/CathyFowl
Summary: Hannah Taylor is just a normal university student, who grabs an opportunity when she sees it. She also turns out to be much more than she's ever known.





	1. In which Hannah arrives in Japan then leaves it

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, another MGiT fic. I'm sorry. (Not really... XP )

The flight to Japan had been 14 hours in total and had taken more out of me than I thought it would.

I mean, I had travelled a longer distance before… I had visited relatives in Los Angeles, and that had taken twice as long with a delayed flight and a missed connection. But now I felt exhausted and nauseous, and just wanted to be on solid ground again.

While I sat on the edge of one of the stewardess’ seat, near the toilet at the back of the plane, I kept wondering if taking a ship would've made me feel similarly sick. Would it have been better or worse? I've only ever been on a small boat before, for a day at the longest, and that was only on a lake. I've never travelled by ship, over oceans or seas.

After landing, I was off the airplane as soon as possible, leaving my travelling companions behind. There were seven of us who had gotten a full scholarship from Dansai International University, to study in Japan for a year, and so had been on the same flight. I told them not to wait for me, and that I would meet up with them in the Arrival Lobby. Then I headed for the nearest restroom.

Just being off the plane and stationary, seemed to help. I washed my face with cold water, took a few minutes to gather myself, and I was as close to being back to normal as I was going to get. I had jetlag and a full day still ahead of me before I could afford a good night's rest. I couldn't sleep on the plane at all, and it was only 9:30 a.m. in Japan.

I took a deep, steadying breath and made sure that I had both my carry-ons. I had a small suitcase for my pillow, my laptop and other electronics that I didn't trust to check in, and I had borrowed my mum’s handbag for my documents and other small necessities.

Getting through the passport check was a breeze. When I arrived, most of the checkpoints were free and the queue was barely starting to develop. Our flight must've caught a lull in the air-traffic. With the paperwork done, I headed for luggage claim, fighting with the airport WiFi on the way, so I could tell my family that I've landed safely.

I've just finished my text when the suitcases rolled in. First class was first, but soon the economy class arrived as well and I spotted my two checked-in suitcases among the first batch. I greeted them happily, and started to figure out how to handle three suitcases and a handbag with only two hands.

Before I could head for the exit, the stewardesses mobbed me. They were half a dozen lovely Japanese ladies, who spoke heavily accented English but had been very nice and helpful on the plane. They asked about my health and seemed genuinely relieved when I reassured them that I was fine now. They wished me luck and a good school year.

I was still smiling, recounting the experience to my Mum, texting her on my phone, as I headed for the exit. Then I heard a familiar, but out of place crackle.

Suddenly my surroundings were bathed in a neon green light, and when I looked up, startled, I saw the air split into two right in front of me. I stared, as a horned giant stepped through, followed closely by the most handsome man I've ever seen in my life, dressed in fine, albeit strange clothes and sporting a moustache I've only seen in video games before. Wait, they were from a video game.

I must've been much sicker than I realized, because I was obviously hallucinating a freakin' rift opening up in the middle of Narita Airport, and the Iron Bull and Dorian Pavus walking through it. What had they put in that miso soup anyway?!?

I must've looked a right fool, because Dorian looked around, searching, before his gaze settled on me.

"Excuse me, miss," he said in that perfectly irresistible accent. "Are you Hannah Taylor?"

I managed a stunned nod.

I've never hallucinated before. I didn't know what you were supposed to do, but I thought that if I did something dangerous, the airport security would stop me from harming myself or anybody else. On the other hand, they didn't seem to have noticed a huge green gash through the air.

"I didn't know rifts could appear indoors...” I mumbled. “Oh wait, I did," I remembered the rift in one of the huts in the Hinterlands. And the one in the Redcliffe Chantry. And the one in...

"It's her alright," the Iron Bull rumbled. I couldn't suppress my shiver of pleasure at that voice. Just... _how_? How did they sound exactly like they did in game? And they looked so real! I could never really imagine them as real people, but here they stood... "Are these your things?" ...looking as real as me. Blood and bone, horns and glorious moustaches... "Hannah?" ... and I wasn't sure if I wanted to throw myself at them and hug them, or run away screaming. "Hannah!"

"Sorry, ...what?" I realized that Bull was trying to talk to me, while I was having some sort of meltdown.

"Are these your things?" He asked again patiently, barely suppressing a chuckle. I wanted to listen to that chuckle all day long.

"Y-yeah..." I finally stammered out an answer.

"Then let's go," he said, grabbed my suitcases, and just… walked back through the rift.

"Hey!" I shouted after him. "What the fuck do you think you're doing?!?"

"Saving the world, dear," Dorian said before grabbing me by the arm and pulling me with him through the green swirl of strange magic. I barely managed to hold onto my handbag.

And so I left my world, after less than an hour of arriving in Japan.


	2. In which Hannah arrives in Thedas and doesn't know what to do with the warm welcome

There was no Fade in between. Pun intended. We just stepped through, and while it made my stomach flip over as if I was re-experiencing my 9-hour flight from Helsinki to Tokyo all over again in less than a second, it didn't feel magical at all.

I managed not to throw up, but it was a close call.

I looked around and found patches of forest and rolling hills, what I instinctively registered as the Hinterlands, around us. Trees and grass and different, but familiar wildlife, and lots and lots of Elfroot.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" I shouted. I was freaking out. Hallucinations were one thing, but getting kidnapped from one's own world?!?! "I've barely arrived in Japan! I've never been to Japan before! This was my only chance to experience the culture and learn the language. And now you took it from me!!! What, the actual, FUCK?!? And how did you..."

My voice trailed off. Behind me, the rift closed, and through my tirade I caught a weakened male voice asking "Is this her?" I turned around and found an exhausted Inquisitor, clutching his still sparking left hand at the wrist. He looked like he was in a lot of pain, and considering he had probably just opened and closed a rift to another world, I was surprised that he was still standing.

"Yes, she is," Dorian answered.

In the fraction of a moment, as the Inquisitor dropped to his knees in tired relief, and I dove to steady him, I decided that this must've been a dream. It had to be. Otherwise, I was just a useless pile of perfectly ordinary and terrified girl, and I could already tell that they expected something extraordinary from me.

"Are you all right?" I asked, my hand going to the Anchor as I tried to concentrate on how I healed in my dreams. I've done that before, if only I could do it now...

To my utter shock, my hand became covered in blue light, and the angry green crackling of the Anchor quieted until it was just the nasty, lightly glowing gash across the Inquisitor's palm.

"Yes," he said quietly. "I am now. Thank you." He smiled at me, and all I could think about was, ' _damn the creators, why is everybody so hot in this game? This is not fair to my poor heart._ '

"You found her, Inquisitor!" A new voice exclaimed followed by running footsteps.

"Easy there, Chuckles," another man said from farther away. "You're going to scare her off at this rate, and then where we'll be?"

I really didn't need to hear him be called by the nickname, to recognize his voice. I really didn't need the owner of that voice to be here, but I had been expecting him, if only subconsciously. I mean, when was the Dread Wolf not connected to interdimensional travel and bad choices? Only when Flemeth was pulling the strings, instead.

I stood very slowly and kept my gaze downcast. Did I really want to see him? _Say his name_. Solas. Did I really want to see _Solas_ in real life? Most of Thedas was the kind of fantasy world that you enjoyed from a distance. The kind of world you'd never ever wanted to visit as yourself. Especially if you were just a helpless finance major with some language skills.

But my choice had been taken away from me, just as my world had been, when wrapped elven feet appeared in my field of vision, and surprisingly strong arms wrapped me up in a tight hug. My breath got knocked out of me on a surprised 'umph'. Then the weirdest thing happened.

I could feel Solas' joy upon seeing me. I could physically feel it.

It must've been his aura, I thought. That ancient elvhen thing, which many fanfics had explained much better than the game. I was stunned speechless by the strange experience.

He must've felt something off, too, because I was suddenly trust away from him, to be regarded at arm's length. I found myself staring into worried-looking stormy-grey eyes.

"Hannah?"

Damn his voice, damn those grey eyes, damn this whole game and its characters.

"Can I go home now, please?" I hiccupped. I was only a bit surprised by the teary quality of my quietly quivering voice, but there was a point of too much, even for me.

Even if this was just a dream or a hallucination, I just wanted to go back home. To my family. What had I've been thinking anyway? Going on a year-long exchange program... to so far away from home...

I was sobbing now, completely breaking down, and I was just repeating _'I wanna go home, I wanna go home, I just wanna go **home'**_  over and over again in an endless litany. In the meanwhile, Solas was repeating my name, saying that I was home, asking what was wrong, and finally, finally, giving me a blessed out by granting me a magical dreamless sleep.


	3. In which there is some campfire conversation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all the support this silly little thing got! <3

"Solas, you said, you knew what you were doing," the scorn in the Inquisitor's voice was palpable.

"I did. I do. It may be possible that Lord Pavus and the Iron Bull grabbed the wrong girl," Solas said, trying to shift blame. Or just shift the conversation away from the more dangerous facts.

"I did not!" Dorian said, outraged. "I asked if she was Hannah Taylor and she said 'yes'. She looks like the description you gave us. She calmed the Anchor, as you said she would. I don't see how we could've brought the wrong girl."

"Yes, Chuckles, " Varric said. "Don’t pick on Sparkler. "

"But she's not  _ Her _ ! She's not..." Solas' words trailed off as he became aware of my consciousness returning.

I was lying on something soft and hard at the same time.  _ Probably a bedroll on the ground _ , I guessed. I could feel the fire's heat by my side and enjoyed listening to its crackle, even if the conversation often got louder than the flames.

As I woke completely, I could feel Solas’ aura retreating. He must've watched over me like that while I slept. I made to reach out to him but nothing happened, except his aura retreated faster, as if startled.

"She's awake," he said grimly and I heard clothes rustling as he stood and walked away.

"Where are you going?" The Inquisitor asked but I couldn't hear Solas' answer.

I blinked open my eyes and stared at the starry sky for a bit. Even lying next to the fire, the sky was full of bright silver dots of light. More than I've ever seen. As I took in the sight, searching for the couple of constellations I could recognize, I soon realized it was all wrong.

"The stars are all wrong," I said, my voice barely above a whisper, sort of flat and a bit lifeless. A huge shadow appeared beside me before settling to sit at my head.

"It's going to be alright, kid," the Iron Bull said. "We'll figure out how to get you back where you belong, and all this mess will seem like just a bad dream."

"I'm not a kid," I said. "I'm twenty-six. But I still wanna go home. You don't even have indoor plumbing here..." I thought about the culture shock I was prepared for going to Japan. What kind of shock was waiting for me here?

The Iron Bull burst out laughing that was echoed by soft chuckles from the other side of the fire.

"Skyhold has indoor plumbing. We'll be going back there come dawn," the Inquisitor said.

"Tarasyl'an Te'las doesn't count," I said quietly grumbling, still half asleep. "It's ancient Elvhen. At least I think so…" I thought about Skyhold for a while, and how the Inquisitor's title was all but confirmed now. "Can I ask what your name is, Inquisitor?" I turned onto my side to look at him from under my blankets. "I know you’re a Trevelyan but I wouldn't bet on your given name being Maxwell."

There was a stunned silence before the Inquisitor spoke carefully.

"Maxwell was my little brother’s name," he said quietly. He looked at me with a renewed wariness. Or suspicion. Or curiosity. I was terrible at reading faces. "I'm Alexis Trevelyan, second son of House Trevelyan, in Templar training until I was sent to the..."

"Conclave. Yeah, I know that. I was just unsure of your name. And class, I guess. Don't become a Templar. It's shit and you can have the abilities without the lyrium." At the next stunned silence, I turned, away from the fire.

“I’m sorry for your loss,” I said quietly before trying to go back to sleep. I wouldn't be able to get anything useful out of these people, however much I liked them, and there was little chance that I could find Solas in the Hinterlands' night.

I didn’t want to think too hard tonight. I needed time. A little longer to pretend that all this was just a very long very elaborate dream.

I was asleep before the silence lifted.


	4. In which Hannah skips on introductions

By the time I woke in the morning, Solas was back. And had probably been chewed out again, because he looked like he was in a really foul mood. He was on Hannah-watch duty apparently. He introduced himself and the whole gang formally and did not enjoy that I kept interrupting him.

"I am..."

"Solas, elven apostate, somniari, Fade-expert," I cut in.  _ 'Or so we should think... _ ' I added mentally. I had tried to feel out his aura again, but couldn't. We were going to have to talk privately once we got back to Skyhold.

"Yes," Solas ground his teeth. "And this is..."

"The Inquisitor Trevelyan," I supplied again. Seeing Alexis still flinch slightly at the formal title, I asked: "Can I call you Alex, or is that too direct?"

The way a relieved smile bloomed on his face, I didn't even need to hear his answer. "Maker, yes,  _ please _ !" We grinned at each other, and Solas had to clear his throat to continue the introduction.

"This is..." he started again and I interrupted him once more. I couldn't help it. I was in denial about my situation, and pissing off ancient elven gods had always been a dream hobby of mine.

"Dorian of House Pavus, lately of Minrathous, most recently of Skyhold," I recited to Dorian's amusement.

"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Taylor," he said, bowing and offering me a perfect kiss on the hand.

"Oh, Dorian, you're incurable. Always stay like this," I said and just barely caught the slight tightening of the mage's smile. "And please, everyone, call me Hannah. I'm no lady and I won't answer being called one anyway."

Varric tried to one-up me by trying to introduce himself, but I was quicker.

"Varric Tethras, rogue, storyteller, and occasional unwelcome tagalong, " I quoted him from the beginning of the game. "If I remember it right. "

"Indeed," he hummed, bowing in defeat. "Hannah, was it? Chuckles haven’t told us much about you, but it seems like you are truly ‘ _ out of this world _ ’, as it were. "

I blinked at that and looked back at Solas with a raised eyebrow.

Instead of commenting on Varric’s words, he turned to the huge qunari. I turned too, and stared up at Bull grinning. He grinned back.

"You know, I've never seen a qunari before you, the Iron Bull." I took a deep breath and started reciting again. It was quite fun to watch out for the tiniest hint of concern creeping into the Bull's jovial smile. He was good. But I knew what to look for. "Self-titled, the Iron Bull, Captain of the mercenary group 'the Bull's Chargers', Ben-Hassrath, Hissrad, depending on future choices: Tal-Vashoth or dead."

I got sobered by that last part. Maybe I should've said anything, but I wasn't even sure where we were in the timeline. Just that Haven had already fallen, and Alex was named Inquisitor recently enough, that the title still made him wince a little.

"I'd rather Hissrad was dead than the Iron Bull. No offense, just my personal preference,” I added quietly.

I was turning into a master of creating uncomfortable and stunned silences. It was Bull who broke the silence in the end.

"Solas, are you sure we got the wrong girl? She sounds even creepier than the Kid, and she's supposed to be human."

"I am human!" I protested vehemently. "Aren't I?" I asked, hesitating then. My hands flew to my ears, knowing the cliché of becoming an elf in Thedas, if one ever got dragged to that world. But no, my ears were perfectly fine and round and human. "I am… phew,” I sighed in reliefs. “You got me worried there for a second."

I got dark looks for that.

"No offense, but I do not want to be anything else than what I really am. And I'm human. Just a girl. I really don't know what you expect me to do..."

"We expect nothing of you. It was a mistake to bring you here, and we'll figure out what to do with you once we’re back at Skyhold," Solas said coldly. Wow, that was fast. He already hated me. And I didn't even say anything that could’ve pissed him off. Just who did he expect to get?

"Solas! Watch how you speak to her," Alexis said with his full authority behind his words. "Hannah is a guest of the Inquisition for now. Give her the respect she deserves. It's at least partly your fault she ended up here with us, so far from her home."

"Yes, Inquisitor," Solas said, all fake respect and acquiescence. I winced.

" **_Please don't be angry with him because of me, hahren. He seems like a good man. I do not know him yet, but I know that he could be worse. Guide him, at least until you're able, please,_ ** ” I said to Solas in Elvhen. His eyes grew wide before narrowing in suspicion.

" **_How are you able to speak the tongue of the People?_ ** " he asked. His words were so much more fluid than mine, but I was relieved that I seemed to have gotten the pronunciation mostly right. The others were watching our back and forth, like a ping-pong match.

" **_I've studied. We've much to discuss, hahren. But it is better done in the safety of Tarasyl'an Te'las._ ** "

He still regarded me with growing suspicion, but nodded.

"Let's go then," I said cheerily before taking in my two big and one small suitcases and my handbag. "Eh,... do we have a cart or something? Or horses, for that matter?"

Alex laughed at that.

"The Inquisition camp is only a few miles north from here. We'll get horses there, don't worry," he said. "Can you ride?"

"Eh... sort of. I learned how to ride a horse, but it's been over a decade since I sat in a saddle. And I never got the trick of actually climbing up by myself..." I admitted while furiously blushing. There was a strange noise from Solas from the back, but by the time we looked, he was stone-faced again and packing up his backpack.

Luckily it wasn't really a question that they would help with my luggage. I managed to hold onto only my handbag and the rest was picked up by the Iron Bull and Alexis. They made me set the pace and Alexis kept me company at the front, guiding my steps and watching out for enemies. Dorian grumbled behind me about the wildlife, and how many bears we'll meet just before reaching the camp. Solas trudged after him, with his politely neutral expression pasted so firmly on his face that it looked like an actual mask. The Iron Bull took rearguard with Varric and somehow managed to make my two big suitcases, stuffed to the economy class weigh limit, look like they weight barely anything at all.


	5. In which an arrow's shot true

The trek was just as tiring as I thought it would be. I was not prepared for a trip through the Hinterlands with all its hills and valleys and bears.

We ran into two bears, and I had the pleasure of cowering beside Solas, inside his barrier, while he and Dorian flung spells and the Bull and Alex chopped up the flaming or frozen wild animals, with Varric picking off the stragglers with Bianca. She was truly a piece of masterful engineering. Even if I secretly wanted to strangle her creator.

"That is just..." I was still shaking from the adrenalin. I've never seen a bear up close and I wasn't happy about starting now. "How..." Nope, I was too shocked to speak. I made wild gestures before giving up, and just shaking my head and walking off.

I felt Solas' barrier settle over me before I heard his shout of warning. Then there was an arrow sticking out of my chest, and I was painfully aware that this was my proper welcome to Thedas. _It was nice knowing you_ , I thought. Then I dropped like a ragdoll.

It was freaking Red Templars. Of course. I caught a few glimpses of them, and vaguely thought that it meant that Alex was really not a bad guy, because he chose to side with the mages. Even while being a Templar-in-training. Probably.

I was just about to pass out, pain suspiciously absent, when Solas landed beside me on his knees. Dorian put a barrier over both of us, before returning to aid the Inquisitor.

"Hannah? Hannah! Stay with me!" Solas sounded desperate, and I wanted to tell him, that it wasn't his fault. Okay, perhaps in the big picture it was, but he really shouldn't have expected me to last longer than a couple of hours alive in Thedas. I was just a normal city girl. I couldn't even deal with most of the harmless flora and fauna, let alone bears and Red Templars.

"Hannah!" Solas shouted my name again, before laying both his hands around the arrow sticking out of my chest. Somebody had aimed it very carefully, because I could tell it was around where my heart should be. I was actually surprised that I was still conscious. Or alive.

I locked eyes with Solas and saw my fear reflected in his stormy grey eyes. They really couldn't be called blue. Even up close they looked... oh.

They flashed brilliant blue for a moment, and I felt his aura wrap around me like a warm blanket. It felt like home. Then there was a flash of bright pain, and all that kept me from screaming or losing consciousness, was that warm presence all around me. I pulled it tighter as if snuggling into the warm duvet on my bed at home.

When my mind cleared again I found myself wrapped in strong arms and a scent of lightning and herbs. _Solas_.

"Is she alright?" A worried Alexis asked.

"Yes, Inquisitor. The arrow shot true, but she will be fine," Solas said. I could still feel his emotions boiling under the polite mask. He was scared for me. He felt guilty for dragging an innocent into this mess. He was worried for the true reason I knew so much about Thedas, yet wasn't the Hannah he had been looking for.

"Thanks to your quick reaction no doubt," Dorian said. "If you'd been a second later with that barrier, she would've been dead on the spot."

"Indeed," Solas ground out. He didn't need compliments. He didn't need his barely suppressed powers to be brought under the spotlight.

"Hush-hush..." I whispered and hummed the only elven lullaby I knew. Solas stared down at me in shock, his whole body going rigid before slowly relaxing, only his arms tightening around me.

"Are you sure she is okay, Solas?" The Iron Bull asked doubtfully. "She's humming..."

"Yes," Solas said, the slight smile audible in his voice. "She will be all right now."


	6. In which Hannah arrives to Skyhold

I was still waiting for my true freak-out.

I was standing in the middle of the courtyard at Skyhold, while Alexis and the rest took care of the horses, and I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I had arrived to another country only to be kidnapped to another _world_ , got put to magical sleep, trekked through half of the Hinterlands, got attacked by bears, got shot with an arrow by a Red Templar, got to ride a horse through a snowy mountain and now I was standing inside of the gates of Skyhold and I could swear that I could feel magic in the air.

It was still too much like a dream.

" _Impossible, yet possible. The word itself says ' **I'm possible** '. So this is what it feels like to go mad? Too many secrets, too much knowledge, I'll screw it up for sure. I'm not even meant to be here. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..._"

"Holy sh--eetmusic, Cole!" I jumped as the spirit appeared beside me out of nowhere and summarized my thoughts perfectly. "How are the people here not dropping from heart attacks?"

"They forget," he said simply. "But you knew me before I knew you. You won't forget!" He sounded so happy, I had to smile.

"No, I won't. And even if I do, I won't forget that you exist. Cole and Compassion, both are important and precious."

"She called me precious," Cole turned to Solas, who was quickly walking up to us. He watched my reaction to the young man carefully, looking back and forth between us.

"You're not scared of him?" Solas asked.

"Why would I be afraid of Compassion?" I asked back, turning my head to the side in confusion. "He's here to help."

"Yes! I am," Cole gushed. "You understand. Solas, she really understands." He looked so happy. Then he turned suddenly, as if he heard someone calling his name, and he disappeared into thin air.

"Now _that_ is at least a bit creepy," I motioned where Cole had just been standing.

"You are aware that he's a spirit?" Solas asked cautiously.

"Yes, as I said, a spirit of Compassion, here to help the hurt," I must've quoted Cole with perfect inflection because Solas startled a bit at my words.

"Just what are you really, Hannah?" Solas asked in barely veiled wonder. Before I could answer him, however, the others arrived.

"I spoke to Josephine," Alex announced. "She'll arrange for a room for you, Hannah. I had your things sent there too. I know you must be tired, but I would like if we had a meeting with the advisors first." He said. "Solas," he turned to the elf. "You must join us as well. We have to test if she's really not the one we were looking for, and formulate a plan about how to send her home."

Solas nodded gravely and walked off ahead of us.

"So we are to be unceremoniously dismissed then?" Dorian asked, walking up behind the Inquisitor with Bull.

"You ask like you didn't already have a plan to sneak away," the Iron Bull rumbled with a wide grin on his face.

"We did pop over to a whole other world just to get her," Dorian said. "A truly dreadful place without magic, if I might say so," he added as an aside. "We could at least get to know her better."

Alexis just chuckled.

"You'll have time to get to know her after the meeting, I'm sure," he said. "Only, of course, if she wants to get to know you as well," he added, glancing to me.

"I already know them," I shrugged, grinning. I could've used some tavern-time though, for sure. If not for the swill they served, then for the songs Maryden was surely performing.

"Yes," Dorian said, his voice filled with speculation. "We must discuss that as well, my dear. Somewhat uncanny to be known by someone I have never even met before. Especially, if that someone is from a different world."

I grinned at Dorian and tried my best wriggly-eyebrow action.

"But what about the mystery?!" I tried to say mysteriously.

The Iron Bull laughed out loud at my pathetic attempts at theatrics and Dorian huffed.

"Oh well, meet you at the Herald's Rest then?" He asked. "I'm sure you can find it just fine if you know us all so well." He winked and walked off.

"I'd better check on my boys," the Iron Bull made his excuses as well, and left the Inquisitor and me to make our way inside the main halls of Skyhold.

 


	7. In which Hannah finds out the date

Skyhold, in real life, was somehow managing to look exactly the same as in the game and yet was much, _much_ bigger. Alexis led me through the main hall, and while it was much bigger, and a lot busier than in-game, I found all the familiar doors, passages, the throne/judgement chair and the stairs.

We walked through Josephine's office, which was currently empty and we walked through the half-repaired corridor that led to the huge double doors of the war room. I couldn't help but stop at the broken wall and stare out at the snowy mountain.

It seemed I couldn't get enough of the view. Or the snow. It had been the end tail of summer at home and here... Well, I didn't actually know what season it was, but either it was near winter or we were high enough that we were beyond the perpetual snow line.

I haven't even noticed that Alex was giving me some time, until I turned to ask him about the time of the year and found him studying me with a carefully contain expression on his face.

"What..." I blinked and recollected myself. "Sorry, what is the date?"

"It's 8 Wintermarch, 9:42 Dragon," he said. "If that means anything to you..."

"Oh, I missed First Day," I cut him off. "What do you plan for Wintersend? Is there going to be some kind of party?" I asked enthusiastically.

Alex looked at me with confused surprise.

"The Winter Ball will be held at Halamshiral during Wintersend..."

My mouth fell open. Could I...? Could I maybe...?

"May I, maybe, go to the ball with you?" I asked hopefully, barely suppressing my giddiness.

He sighed and his lips curled into a slightly crooked smile.

"Let's talk to the advisors first. Then we can decide whether or not it is a plausible idea to introduce a woman from a whole other world to the Orlesian Game," he said and offered his arm.

I grinned but took his arm before answering.

"I'm really good at the Game. It's all just smiles and not drinking or eating anything, and making sure to say the right thing at the right time. It's mostly endless flattery of unworthy people though."

"I think you just summed up the Game perfectly," Alex chuckled. _I like to hear him laugh_ , I thought as we finally entered the war room.

 

It was a good thing that I was holding onto Alex's arm because the sight of the Advisors was truly breath-taking, each in their own way.

Leliana was... intense. She looked like she saw right through to my soul and was calculating the best ten ways to separate it from my body. I had a feeling that whatever plan had brought me here, she was very much against it.

Cullen was... Cullen. He bowed slightly upon our entering and flexed his hand over the pommel of his sword. He seemed a bit tense, and I thought that he was worried about me being here too, until I noticed the subtle shifts of his body trying to relieve tension, and the tightness around his eyes and lips. He was not having a good day. As I spent a bit longer than proper gazing into his amber-coloured eyes, I thought about whether or not he had mentioned quitting lyrium to the Inquisitor yet.

Josephine was...

"Woah, Josie, you look so beautiful..." I whispered reverently.

The game did not do her justice. I wasn't even sure that I had the words to describe her hair, her face, her clothes. And that adorable slight overbite. I was staring, I realized, but I couldn't tear my gaze from her. And she was blushing! Oh dear...

I heard Alexis chuckle beside me and totally missed the startled looks Leliana and Cullen gave him.

"Why don't you do that thing again," he asked, "what you did in the Hinterlands? Instead of me introducing my advisors."

"Yes," I nodded, "Of course!"

I took a deep breath and steadied myself.

"Lady Josephine Montilyet, formerly chief ambassador from Antiva to Orlais, now Ambassador of the Inquisition." I bowed to Josephine, deciding at the last moment that curtsying in days-old jeans was not proper.

I turned to Cullen next.

"Ser Cullen Stanton Rutherford, Commander of the Forces of the Inquisition. Ex-templar, great at chess. Should really write his sister Mia," I couldn't help the middle name, even though it drew some strange looks for us both. And the jab at him for not writing his sister. From the way he looked away ashamed, I was right and he still hadn't contacted his family.

"Sister Leliana, the Nightingale, Left Hand of the Divine, Spymaster of the Inquisition... I guess there's a less direct name for your position, but I'm not really good with those titles." I finished addressing Leliana. Her scary gaze was intensifying, and I was starting to realize that it might not have been the best idea to flaunt my knowledge in front of her.

"It is a pleasure meeting you all," I said at last. "My name is Hannah Taylor, I am... a scholar of sorts. And I'm still not sure why I am here." I turned to the Inquisitor with a questioning gaze.

"That is my cue," Solas said, stepping out from behind the advisors, where he was standing out of sight in the corner.


	8. In which Hannah finds out the truth about her situation

"That is my cue," Solas said, stepping out from behind the advisors, where he was standing out of sight in the corner. I haven't even seen him there. I thought he was running late.

The Inquisitor nodded to Solas, to speak, and explain, just why in fact I was in Thedas and not in Japan, settling in my dorm room. I was really curious. Depending on the explanation I was still willing to entertain the idea that all of this was just a very long, very realistic dream.

"As you have seen, the Inquisitor has been struggling with controlling the Anchor," Solas started. "I have been searching the Fade for a solution, speaking with many spirits and finally finding a memory of a human girl, who had come to Thedas back in the days of Arlathan."

This did _not_ sound good.

"Her name had been forgotten by all but a single spirit of Hope, who told me about where this girl had come from, and how she had mentioned that time flowed differently in her world."

No. I did not like this. _At all._

"Her name had been 'Hannah Taylor' and she had been a great mage in a time when the Veil hasn't existed yet."

I heard Leliana's doubtful huff in the background, but I couldn't tear away my eyes from Solas. If what he was saying was anywhere near true... I was genre-sawwy enough to know he might be speaking about... but no, that was impossible.

"I had searched and looked for a way to summon her again and found a beacon. It had led us to a quiet corner of the Hinterlands, where the Inquisitor managed to open a rift, not into the Fade, but your own world."

And if he was speaking the truth... that meant he must've known this other Hannah Taylor. That would mean he knew I wasn't the right girl. Yet I could calm the Anchor... Couldn't I? Was it just a fluke?

"So tell me Hannah Taylor," he said, stepping right up to me (when did he get so close?). "Are you the one who can help the Inquisitor save the world?"

I swallowed hard.

"Solas ** _, you must know... you must know that I'm not... I've never been to Thedas before... You must realize..._** "

" ** _And yet you slip into the language of the People with such ease you don't even notice. And yet you can reach out with your aura like no mage since the creation of the Veil can. And yet you look at me, at all of us with recognition,_** " Solas said. " ** _So tell me, who are you really?_** "

I really didn't notice that I slipped into Elven. I could differentiate between the two languages if I concentrated, Elvhen being more melodious, more fluid on my tongue than Common/English. And now I realized that this amount of skill did not come from my obsession over the Elvhen Project on tumblr.

"I'm just a girl. I'm just a normal, human girl. I don't know what you want from me..." I felt like crying again. I was barely self-sufficient enough that going abroad to live in a foreign country, thousands of miles away from home, for a whole year, wasn't the worst possible idea I ever had. I couldn't bring a miracle!

"We need your help," Alex said, gently taking my elbow to steady me. "If you're willing to give it."

"You don't understand, I don’t think I _can_ help," I said, desperate to make them understand. And Lord Trevelyan did.

"All right," he nodded and turned to Solas. "Do you think we could open that rift again and send her home?"

Solas was still looking at me. His icy gaze captured mine when our eyes met and I saw... something really terrifying lurking in the depth. I was frozen to the spot with sudden fear.

"I'm afraid that is impossible, Inquisitor." Solas said evenly. "The opening of the previous rift was only possible because we were lucky and our worlds had aligned. I can look for another date and place, but I am quite certain the next such event will be in the next _age_ , if not much later."

I felt the blood drain from my face.

So... even if I _did_ manage to help... I wouldn't be able to go home. _Ever_.

"You..." I whispered, choking on suddenly flowing tears. I swallowed hard and tried again. "You mean, that no matter what, I am stuck here for the rest of my life?" My voice was steadily rising as I spoke. I shrugged off Alex' steadying hand and rounded on Solas with full fury. "You mean, that you took me from my world, my family, my friends, _my life_ , with no intention of ever returning me?!? **_I knew you were good at fucking up, but this is too much even for you!! How dare you, wolf?!?! HOW DARE YOU TAKE MY LIFE FROM ME?!?!"_**

I would've punched him. I would've punched Solas, crawled out his eyes, chew off his pointy ears. I wanted to make him understand the hurt he had inflicted on me. I would never see my Mum again. I would never eat my Gran's cooking again. I would never chase my stupid dog around the yard again. I would never finish my stupid degree. I would never...

I was restrained my arms wearing cold steel, and the feel of armour against my back cleared my head enough, that I stopped fighting the grip and resigned to only glare daggers at Solas.

"Enough," it was Cullen's voice in my ears. "I will escort Lady Taylor to her new quarters."

Alex nodded in agreement.

"And I will deal with the situation here," he said.

"NO!" I shrieked, restarting my efforts to get free. "I want him to answer for what he did! I'm fed up with his well-meaning messes! Solas, you... you..."

But Cullen was stronger and after he managed to drag me from the war room, he unceremoniously hauled me over one armoured shoulder and carried me off upstairs towards the guest rooms. The wind got knocked out of me, but soon I was back to struggling. But he was stronger than me. Bigger than me. Wearing heavy armour.

By the time he dumped me in a freshly prepared room and closed to door behind him, I was exhausted. When I heard the lock click, my fury gave a last flair.

"NOOOOO!! Let me out!!! Cullen!!!"

"I am sorry, my lady. It's for your protection," he said quietly and left.

I was still screaming long after his footsteps faded into the distance.


	9. In which Hannah is visited by Compassion

Eventually, I crumpled to the floor, with my back against the door, weeping.

This was no longer, in any shape or form, like a dream. Even my worst nightmare never had me trapped somewhere, to be without my family, my world, my _life_. What was I going to do?!?

After minutes and minutes of just sobbing endlessly, I finally spared a glance at the room, only to see my suitcases and my handbag carefully placed in one corner and I started up crying again.

Because that _was_ my life. Packed in three suitcases and the handbag I had borrowed from Mum for my year-long trip to the other side of the globe. And it was all that was _left_ of my life now.

Clothes and toiletries and electronics and notebooks and coloured pens. And a single framed picture of my small, broken family, done one Christmas Eve a long, long time ago.

I crawled over to the biggest suitcase and dug through the clothes, carelessly throwing them this way and that, until I found the picture. Then, I desperately hugged it close.

"I'm sorry, Mum. I'm sorry, Gran. I'm sorry, Gramps. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so, so sorry..."

I cried myself to sleep for the first time in my life.

 

***

 

I woke to cool fingers carding through my hair, and a gentle voice singing a familiar lullaby, slightly off-key.

I blinked my eyes open and found that I was half curled up on the pile of clothes I threw out of my suitcase and half in Cole's lap. I sat up with a startled jerk.

"Sorry, sorry," he was saying. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I just wanted to help."

I was still in Thedas.

It hadn't been just a dream.

I was stuck. I would never go home. I...

" _Stuck, stolen, never to reunite. How could he?!? Is nothing precious to the old wolf? Wrong question. He doesn't understand. He never understood. He tries to fix his mistakes and makes even bigger ones._ Solas just wanted to help."

I felt hollowed out. And I was still holding the only picture left of my family in a death-grip.

"Yes. He always just wants to help and fix things. It _never_ goes well though, does it?" My voice sounded hollow too. Cold and absent. I felt disconnected. Maybe this _was_ a dream. Maybe I will wake up soon and I can curl up next to Granny in her bed and tell her all about the nightmare I had. And she would gently scold me for playing too much video games again.

"This isn't a dream," Cole said. "And we need your help. You can't leave yet."

"Cole?" I asked shakily. "Can you make me forget? Just a little while? Just... I don't know... Make me forget that I can't go home? Or make me not think about my family?"

My Mum was going to be devastated when I did not arrive at the dorm. When I didn't write to her that I was safe. When they found no trace of me beyond the gates at Narita Airport.

And my grandparents too. They would be heartbroken. Each other was all we had. Mum... Gran... Gramps…

"I'm sorry," Cole said and started to sing that lullaby again. A lullaby that my Grandma used to sing to me when I was little and wouldn't go to sleep.

I broke down in sobs again.

"I'm sorry, I did it wrong," Cole said anxiously. "I pulled too hard and tore it. And I can't make you forget. I'm sorry. I'm sorry," he said then disappeared.


	10. In which Hannah makes her pain understood

I calmed down eventually and started debating, whether I should sacrifice the precious battery life of my mp3-player to listen to some pick-me-up music, or just try to sing to myself instead. I wanted to forget and if Cole couldn't help, I'd do it my way, by burying myself in a fantasy world, instead of facing reality.

A hysterical giggle escaped me at the thought. I used to escape _here_. Thedas used to be my fantasy world where I could run away to if school or work or life became too much.

And now it was my reality.

 

There was a knock at the door, then the lock clicked and Solas entered my room. As I stared at him slack-jawed he gently closed and relocked the door behind him.

"We need to talk," he said.

_He had the gall!!_

I lounged at him with all the fury and martial arts training of a tomboyish third-grader. I caught him off guard, and we both went down to tumble onto the floor as I tried to get at least a few good kicks or punches in, and he tried to dodge and restrain me without hurting me.

He ended up pinning my legs with his weight and keeping my arms pinned with his hands. And holding my whole body immobile and trapped with his aura.

I was breathless and fear was bubbling up under the fury. He was fucking Fen'Harel. He was the Dread Wolf, and while he may not have been the villain the myths painted him as, he was a powerful and dangerous entity.

And his aura pinning me down, pinning my _self_ , my soul down, felt like a death threat and a loving caress at the same time.

We stared at each other for long moments.

"If I let you go now," Solas started carefully. "Will you hear me out?"

"Why can I feel your aura? Isn't that supposed to be an ancient Elvhen thing?" I asked instead of answering him.

He huffed, and I caught a hint of an amused smile before his face returned to neutral.

"How do you even know about such things?"

"Are we going to keep talking in questions?"

"Are we?"

It was my turn to huff, although for me it was in frustration. But in the end, I nodded.

"Okay, you have five minutes," I acquiesced. "It's not like I'm going anywhere," I said bitterly.

He had the good grace to look ashamed at that. He slowly let go of my hands and as he stood in a fluid, graceful motion, he withdrew his aura as well. I was left feeling surprisingly bereft. I pushed myself up to my elbows and regarded him with narrowed eyes.

"Time is ticking," I said.

He just gave me one of his rarest smirks and offered me a hand to pull me up. I hesitated, but I had had enough of the stone floor for today, so I grudgingly accepted. He pulled me up so easily, I over-balanced, and he had to steady me.

I still wanted to punch him, yet I had to cling to him as I waited for the room to stop spinning.

"Are you all right?" he asked and I could feel his aura gently brushing against... not my skin, but a piece of my self. I guessed it was my own aura. It was all so confusing and after letting go of my murderous fury, as the adrenaline drained out of me, I was ready to just collapse and don't think about anything anymore.

" no " I said in a tiny voice.

"When was the last time you've eaten?" Solas' asked.

I had to think about it really hard. I remembered some kind of oatmeal-like thing we had for breakfast before we started on the last leg of the journey to Skyhold. I haven't been feeling well since my flight, and the interdimensional travel hadn't helped. I still haven't had any appetite.

"You've got three minutes left," I said instead of answering and pulled away to walk back to the pile I've made of my things to look for my handbag and my phone in it.

I remembered throwing it in the bag when Dorian grabbed me. I hoped it still had some battery left. I giggled at the thought of possible Wi-Fi reception in Thedas. It could be patchy, like it receives it from the Fade and where the Veil is weakened, the reception would be better.

"Hannah," Solas was starting to speak, and I had to stop my search for a moment in an effort not to throw the whole bag at him. I was getting tired of the strangely intimate way he said my name. Like he hadn't just met me for the first time a couple of days ago.

"Hannah, look at me, please," Solas pleaded.

I ignored him as my hand finally curled around my phone. I pulled it out and was greeted by the flashing message light. It still had some charge left and it even received a message between my last look at it and now.

My hands shook a bit as I swiped the screen down to look at the message. There was no cell reception or Wi-Fi, but the phone had downloaded the message automatically. It was from my Mum.

 

**Okay, take care. And don't forget to write when you arrive at the dorm.**

**I love you.**

**XOXO**

 

I forgot how to breathe.

"Hannah," Solas was right behind me and he gently took my shoulder and turned me around.

I looked up at him, my vision already blurring with fresh tears. I had thought I ran dry already. I guessed I was wrong. I pushed my phone in front of his face.

"THIS is what you took from me! So explain yourself or _GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY SIGHT!_ " I shrieked.

He stumbled back and glanced down at what must've looked like a magical glowing box to him. A glowing box with words on it. With the last words I'll ever get from my Mum.

"I..." he started, but couldn't finish as his eyes scanned the message itself. He looked back at me, and I saw that he was starting to finally understand the weight of his deed. How much he hurt me. And for nothing. I obviously wasn't the girl he had been looking for!

" ** _I'm sorry_** ," he whispered, then turned and with the quiet click of the door behind him, he was gone.

 


	11. In which Hannah unpacks

I stared at the polished wood with the - was that brass or steel? - cross guards and hinges for a long time before I was brought back to my new reality by the soft beep of my phone giving its last breath and shutting itself off.

I almost threw it at the wall, but thought better of it and just let it fall from my fingers onto the pile of clothes near my feet. It was a tough little phone, but even it wouldn't survive the stone walls of a medieval-like castle.

I looked around the room, dazed. What happens now? I wanted to go back to sleep. I wanted to escape from having to think about things, from having to come up with a plan. I was afraid of dreaming in the Fade though. So far I hadn't, but who knew, maybe I was finally vulnerable enough to be drawn in by some kind of demon... The thought terrified me.

And I felt filthy. I couldn't even remember the last time I showered. It was days ago. And I really should've eaten something, even if the thought of food still made me queasy.

I took another, more careful, look around the room.

It was small, but very nice, actually. If I looked at it with regards to where I was, it might’ve been one of the nicest guestrooms in Skyhold.

Solas had left me the key, still in the lock on the inside. My first action was to lock my room again. Cullen might've been scary and a bit rough yesterday, but one thing he said rang true. It was for my own protection to keep the door locked.

I turned around and took in the mess I've made of the room. To the right, there was a fireplace, with a basket of chopped wood next to it. The fire had long died, but my grandparents used to heat the house with a small woodburning stove until the weather turned truly freezing, so I knew how to start a fire. Even if there weren't any matches, I was sure I would be able to use flint and steel.

I tried not to dwell on never being able to tell Granny how useful the skills she taught me would be here.

In the far right corner from the entrance, set against the back wall, was a desk with a chair. Next to it a dresser with drawers, then a nicely sized bed, with a firm looking mattress. The window was stained glass, and let in coloured light to illuminate the room.

My stuff was scattered at the foot of the bed. Two big suitcases, one small. My hand bag,  emptied over the bedcover. A miscellany of travel gear. Paper tissues, my Kindle, my diary, travel documents...

I sighed.

Just to my left was a big, Narnia-wardrobe. I bit the inside of my mouth, so I wouldn't laugh. I knew that if I started now, I would devolve into unstoppable hysterical giggling. And I had things to do.

So I made a list, to keep myself sane.

First, unpack.

That was easy. I didn't have a lot of stuff, and the space for them was excessive in comparison. I put my electronics in one of the dresser drawers for now, under several shirts. Just in case. My fingers itched to try using my laptop or tablet, but it would be a waste of battery life. I even removed the battery from my laptop, so it would last that tiny little bit longer.

Second, light the fire.

It couldn't have been out too long, but as soon as I stopped moving, I could feel a chill sneaking into my bones. I was right about not being able to find matches, but I didn't need to worry about managing flint and steel.

There were plenty of still alive embers under the pile of ashes that I managed to coax into a lively flame with some smaller twigs. I waited and added first one, then another log to the fire. I watched them burn merrily for a little while. I liked watching the dancing flames. It was mesmerizing.

Third, write in my diary.

I felt calmer already, but writing everything that happened down would go a long way toward quieting my racing thoughts. I always wrote in my diary when my head was too full. It helped. Usually.

So I recounted the events of the past few days, and ranted about the injustice of it, and smeared a few pages with fresh tears. I felt a bit disappointed in myself for being so emotional. Wallowing in self-pity hadn’t been my style. And neither had been giving up so easily. For all I knew, Solas could’ve been lying. He's been known to bend the truth to his advantage. But what would he gain by lying about me not being able to go home?

If I wasn't the 'Hannah' he was looking for, it didn't make sense.

Finally, I came to the conclusion that I had to face him. We had to talk, and I was _not_ going to look for him in the Fade. Mostly because I wasn't sure I would be able to.

But I needed to get clean first.

"So… indoor plumbing?" I asked of the empty room. _Don’t laugh, don’t laugh, don’t laugh._

I got my empty backpack out and filled it with fresh clothes, a towel and my toiletries pouch. I used the key on the way out, and although I knew that such a simple lock would mean nothing to any mildly capable rogue, it still felt good to lock the door behind me when I left to search for the baths.

Josie would be able to help for sure. And I could probably find _her_ office without getting lost in the huge keep. I _hoped_.

 


End file.
